Assessing physical development and nutritional status of students in Dimapur, Nagaland, India

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the nutritional status and physical growth of middle-aged children (612 years) in Dimapur, the largest city in Nagaland. The study encompassed four schools, with a total participation of 207 children, comprising 104 students from government schools and 103 from private schools. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height and waist circumference were obtained using standardized equipment. Socio-economic profile of parents such as income levels and educational qualification were documented to understand the potential influence of socioeconomic factors on children’s nutritional status. The findings unveiled that the prevalence of underweight was higher in low-income families with 93.26% children were underweight from government school and 80.58% from private schools and the prevalence of overweight was 4.85% from private schools only. A gender disparity was observed, with girls exhibiting a higher mean height compared to boys among government school children, while such disparity was not evident among children attending private schools. The body mass index and waist-to-height ratio was calculated for assessing the nutritional status of school going girls and boys. The waist-to-height ratio has been applied and useful in predicting the cardiometabolic risk.